Family displaced after fire in Racine

A house fire in Racine on Christmas night sends a family racing out the door, just before their holiday meal.

Firefighters responded just after 5 p.m. to a home along the 1200 block of South Memorial Drive near 12th Street. There is still no word on a cause. The Racine Fire Department says the blaze caused $15,000 worth of damage to the home.

12 News talked with the homeowner, David Johnson. He says he was in the middle of making a holiday dinner when a fire broke out upstairs.

"I was actually in the kitchen basting a turkey and the kids come running downstairs saying the house was on fire,” Johnson said.

Johnson tried using a fire extinguisher.

"But the smoke was too intense, so I just told everybody to get out of the house,” Johnson said.

Johnson, his wife, two sons and a friend all escaped unharmed. Firefighters took over, knocking out the flames in the second-floor closet area.

"Really fast, like two minutes maybe, like explode the windows and everything,” Esteban Barajas said.

Barajas was checking on his rental property nearby at the time of the fire. His kids took cell phone video of the aftermath.

"I feel bad for the family, for all the family,” Barajas said.

Johnson said the fire is a tough blow, falling on Christmas. But he can’t beat having his family safe and sound.

The family is getting assistance from Red Cross with housing. The fire department also says there was a lot of debris in the closet where the fire started, but were unable to describe that debris Wednesday night.

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A HOUSE FIRE IN RACINE -- SENDS A FAMILY RACING OUT THE DOOR -- JUST BEFORE THEIR HOLIDAY MEAL. AS 12 NEWS MAX SEIGLE LEARNED - KIDS WERE THE FIRST TO SPOT THE FLAMES. "TONIGHT RACINE POLICE SHUT DOWN THIS STRETCH OF SOUTH MEMORIAL DRIVE AT 12TH STREET SO FIREFIGHTERS COULD ATTACK THE FIRE AT THIS WHITE HOUSE HERE. NO WORD YET ON A CAUSE OF THE FIRE BUT WE DO KNOW THE FAMILY INSIDE A THE TIME, WAS THEIR MAKING CHRISTMAS DINNER." ENGINE NATS DAVID JOHNSON SURVEYS THE DAMAGE AT HIS RACINE HOME CHRISTMAS NIGHT. HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING A HOLIDAY DINNER WHEN A FIRE BROKE OUT UPSTAIRS. "I WAS ACTUALLY IN THE KITCHEN BASTING A TURKEY AND THE KIDS COME RUNNING DOWNSTAIRS SAYING THE HOUSE WAS ON FIRE." JOHNSON TRIED USING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. "BUT THE SMOKE WAS TOO INTENSE, SO I JUST TOLD EVERYBODY TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE." JOHNSON, HIS WIFE, TWO SONS AND A FRIEND -- ALL GOT OUT SAFE. FIREFIGHTERS TOOK OVER -- KNOCKING OUT FLAMES IN A SECOND- FLOOR CLOSET AREA. "REALLY FAST, LIKE TWO MINUTES MAYBE, GO LIKE EXPLODE THE WINDOWS AND EVERYTHING." ESTEBAN BARAJAS WAS CHECKING ON HIS RENTAL PROPERTY NEARBY AT THE TIME. HIS KIDS TOOK CELL PHONE VIDEO OF THE AFTERMATH. "I FEEL BAD FOR THE FAMILY, FOR ALL THE FAMILY." JOHNSON SAYS IT'S A TOUGH BLOW, FALLING ON CHRISTMAS. BUT HE CAN'T BEAT HAVING HIS FAMILY SAFE AND SOUND. "THINGS CAN BE REPLACED, LIVES CAN'T. JUST GRATEFUL? GRATEFULCHRISTMAS PRESENT." TONIGHT THE FAMLY TOLD ME THEY DON'T HAVE ANOTHER PLACE TO GO OVERNIGHT BUT THEY ARE WORKING WITH FIRE OFFICIALS TO FIND ONE. REPORTING IN RACINE, MAX SEIGLE WISN 12 NEWS." THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT CAUSED ABOUT 15-THOUSAND-DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE. THEY SAY THERE WAS A LOT OF DEBRIS IN THE CLOSET WHERE THE